Read and Briefly explain conflict theory, and how it relates to unequal access to healthcare
Conflict theory looks at society as engaging in a competition for limited resources. This perspective is a macro-level approach most identified with the writings of German philosopher and sociologist Karl Marx, who saw society as being made up of individuals in different social classes who must compete for social, material, and political resources such as food and housing, employment, education, and leisure time. Social institutions like governments, education, and religion reflect this competition in their inherent inequalities and help maintain the unequal social structure. Some individuals and organizations can obtain and keep more resources than others, and these “winners” use their power and influence to maintain social institutions. The perpetuation of power results in the perpetuation of oppression.
Several theorists suggested variations on this basic theme. Polish-Austrian sociologist Ludwig Gumplowicz (1838-1909) expanded on Marx’s ideas by arguing that war and conquest are the foundations of civilizations. He believed that cultural and ethnic conflicts led to states being identified and defined by a dominant group that had power over other groups (Irving, 2007). German sociologist Max Weber (1864-1920) agreed with Marx but also believed that in addition to economic inequalities, inequalities of political power and social structure cause conflict. Weber noted that different groups were affected differently based on education, race, and gender, and that people’s reactions to inequality were moderated by class differences and rates of social mobility, as well as by perceptions of the legitimacy of those in power.
Another reader of Marx, Georg Simmel (1858-1918) believed that conflict could help integrate and stabilize a society. He said that the intensity of the conflict varies depending on the emotional involvement of the parties, the degree of solidarity within the opposing groups, and the clarity and limited nature of the goals. Simmel also showed that groups work to create internal solidarity, centralize power, and reduce dissent. The stronger the bond, the weaker the discord. Resolving conflicts can reduce tension and hostility and thus pave the way for future agreements.
In the 1930s and 1940s, German philosophers known as the Frankfurt School developed critical theory as an elaboration on Marxist principles. Critical theory is an expansion of conflict theory that is broader than just sociology, incorporating other social sciences and philosophy. A critical theory is a holistic theory and attempts to address structural issues causing inequality. Critical theories must explain what’s wrong in current social reality, identify the people who can make changes, and provide practical goals for social transformation (Horkheimer, 1982).
Inequalities based on gender and race have been explained in a similar manner and critical theories have identified institutionalized power structures that help to maintain inequality between groups. Janet Saltzman Chafetz (1941-2006) presented a model of feminist theory that attempts to explain the forces that maintain gender inequality as well as a theory of how such a system can be changed (Turner, 2003). Similarly, critical race theory grew out of a critical analysis of race and racism from a legal point of view. Critical race theory looks at structural inequality based on white privilege and associated wealth, power, and prestige.
